Deck 8: Management of Informants and Undercover Operations

Question 1

Simply defined,the "cover story" is:

A)a true story that the agent tells to suspects about his background.
B)a fictitious story that the agent tells to suspects about his background.
C)a plan regarding how to commit a major crime.
D)a lie regarding what drugs are available in town.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Another word for informant is:

A)Snitch
B)Teller
C)Information specialist
D)Speaker

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The elements of an undercover operation include:

A)Background history
B)Family history
C)Introduction
D)Induction

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is of the LEAST concern regarding the use of informants?

A)Potential embarrassment to the department
B)Proving the value of the informant's information
C)Establishing the credibility of the informant in a court of law
D)Controlling the informant's behavior

Question 5

Which of the following is one of the primary investigative tools used in working undercover that typically makes the introduction?

A)The informant
B)Agents of the opposite sex
C)Drug dealers
D)Lawyers

Question 6

Which of the following persons has been "flipped"?

A)Dante,who has agreed to provide information about an associate in exchange for his own charges being dropped
B)Bruno,an associate of a crime family,who is currently in the WITSEC program after testifying in court
C)Martin,a police officer who has accepted bribes from crime figures in exchange for not filing charges
D)Nancy,an undercover informant who seeks to entrap a high level crime figure

Question 7

Which of the following statements most clearly indicates entrapment?

A)"I hear you might have some pot for sale."
B)"Do you have any pot for me?"
C)"If you sell me some pot,I'll get you a job at the mill."
D)"Do you know where I could get some pot?"

Question 8

In which case did the Supreme Court adopt a "totality of the circumstances" approach to the use of informant information?

A)Illinois v.Gates
B)Spinelli V.United States
C)Aguilar v.Texas
D)Harris v.United States

Question 9

People who become informants generally fall within this category:

A)Average citizens
B)Fellow law enforcement officers
C)Criminals
D)All of the above

Question 10

One's ability to be believed is a person's:

A)Integrity
B)Honesty
C)Credibility
D)Trust

Question 11

Entrapment occurs when undercover agents:

A)avoid their own involvement in a crime.
B)prohibit someone from committing a crime.
C)finance a criminal activity.
D)induce someone to commit a crime.

Question 12

This is the undercover officer's worst enemy:

A)Snitching
B)Frustration
C)Panic
D)Thrill seeking

Question 13

This is recognized when an undercover officer convinces a criminal suspect to commit a crime they were not predisposed to commit:

A)Entrapment
B)Lock up
C)Frame
D)Trickery

Question 14

Undercover work is said to have the largest amount of:

A)Fear
B)Alcoholism
C)Stress
D)Fun

Question 15

Which of the following is a major problem with the use of informants?

A)Finding willing and useful informants
B)Establishing workable procedures
C)Maintaining secrecy
D)Avoiding entrapment of suspects

Question 16

An undercover officer typically:

A)rarely gets overtime pay.
B)develops a weight problem.
C)breaks the law while on duty.
D)works with minimal direct supervision.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the "two-pronged test" established in the case of Aguilar v.Texas (1964)that allows the use of an informant's information to establish probable cause?

A)The informant's information is reliable,and the source of the information is made clear.
B)The informant's testimony is both reasonable and intelligent.
C)The informant's identity is protected,and his or her credibility is established.
D)The informant's motivations are honest and plausible.

Question 18

Anyone who provide information of an investigative nature to law enforcement is this:

A)Informant
B)Intelligence analyst
C)Detective
D)Worker

Question 19

Motivations for a criminal informant fall into this category:

A)Fearful informant
B)Revengeful informant
C)Egotistical informant
D)All of the above

Question 20

Which of the following is the best recommendation for maintaining control of an informant?

A)Informants should be contacted by different officers on different occasions.
B)Police should allow informants great latitude in their activities.
C)Informants and police contacts should meet frequently.
D)Officers should pay informants adequate amounts of money.

Question 21

Typically,undercover officers will be involved in a short period of "bobbing,weaving,and circling."

Question 22

The _____typically makes the introduction in undercover work.

Question 23

A police informant may legitimately conduct "controlled" undercover transactions.

Question 24

There is no reason why most police organizations should not utilize undercover agents.

Question 25

It is legal for an undercover officer to induce a suspect to commit a crime.

Question 26

The fearful informant provides information based only on fear of law enforcement.

Question 27

The reason why someone does something is known as their _______.

Question 28

A long-term undercover investigation is typically called a "deep cover" operation.

Question 29

Courts have ruled that police departments should avoid paying informants and exchanging leniency for information due to entrapment issues.

Question 30

The term "buy-bust" would be applied to an undercover operation in which illicit drugs were purchased and the individual selling the drugs was placed under arrest.

Question 31

The revengeful informant seeks to help those involved with criminal activity,not the police.

Question 32

Mercenary informants give information in exchange for a fee.

Question 33

A long-term undercover investigation is typically called a "deep cover" operation.

Question 34

The Supreme Court case Aguilar v.Texas established the two-pronged test regarding an informant's information.

Question 35

_______ occurs when an undercover officer convinces a criminal suspect to commit a crime he or she was not predisposed to commit.

Question 36

________ means one's ability to be believed.

Question 37

In Illinois v.Gates,the Supreme Court adopted a "_____of the _____" approach to the use of informant information.

Question 38

The 1990 case of Alabama v.White held that an anonymous tip,absent of other corroborating information about a suspect,could not form the basis for an investigatory stop.

Question 39

The egotistical informant takes great delight in passing on information to others.

Question 40

The reformed informant is motivated by a sense of guilt.

Question 41

Matching
Locate the correct matches from Column 1 to Column 2

Question 42

You have decided that you want to use informants in the course of working as an undercover officer.You have set up an interview with a potential candidate who has chosen to work as an informant simply to remove drugs off of the streets.Create a list of questions (minimum 5)that you will ask this person upon interviewing them.

Question 43

Undercover work is one of the most ________ jobs that a police officer can undertake.

Question 44

______ _______ is working undercover for extended periods of time.

Question 45

Discuss the four common types of people who become informants.

Question 46

A ______ story is a fictitious story that the agent uses.

Question 47

Discuss the four key points of what you do with an informant upon making the decision to utilize them in your investigations.

Question 48

_____ ____ is money required to initiate an undercover drug transaction.

Question 49

You are assigned as an undercover officer.Discuss the four key types of people who often become informants.Further discuss which type of informant would be more beneficial to you and why.

Question 50

Stress can result from an apparent lack of direction of the investigation and not knowing when it will ____.